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Life After Death/Issue 8
"Why are you blocking the roads?" Emily asked Alvin. Dolph looked up and saw several people climb onto the bus, watching over them. "Easy supplies." "What?" "The way we work here is simple: we block off the roads so that people are forced to stop at our bases. Then, we force them to give us their supplies to go through. Everyone's heading towards Harter, so it's a fairly profitable process." "And what happens if they don't hand over their supplies?" Gregory questions. "Do you kill them?" "No, we're not murderers. We're simply clever people who do what we can to survive. We have a large community, and it's continuously growing. We don't want to risk our lives going out and scavenging for supplies, when there's other people doing the same. We can just let them do our dirty work, and then make them give us what they found. It's a simple system. If you don't want to give us what you have, then you're free to travel around our roadblock. However, we've blocked off all of the roads north and south of here for miles and miles each." "That's impressive," Bill remarked. "And your community works together? There aren't people trying to overthrow you?" "No, they all behave well and do as I say. Everyone gets their own share of the supplies, they don't dare try to ask for more." "Why?" Eric questioned. "Because they understand the consequences for disobeying orders." "And what are those consequences?" "We don't need to get into the details, do we? Let's just say, we smarten them up." "So, you're going to make us give you our supplies to get through?" "Yes." "Not happening." "Then you'll have to go around. It will take a while, maybe a day or two...minimum. Or...you could join us. Harter's a lost cause. Even if it was intact, the amount of people heading to it will run it to the ground. We, on the other hand, and an ever-growing community, willing to take people in to help us prosper." "Not happening, either. Let's go, we'll just drive around." "Well, you have fun doing that." "We will, don't you worry." "Remember, the offer still stands. If you change your mind, we'll still be willing to take you and your people in." Eric and the rest of the group got back in the truck and drove off. Alvin climbed back over the bus, and grabbed the hand of a tall, black man with long hair and a blank look. "That's the third time in a row we've forced people around," the man said. "We need to completely wall off all the roads to the west, otherwise people are just going to go around us." "I know, Jon. I've already talked to Frank and Sarah about heading out to some of the other stations to gather people and build more roadblocks. It will hopefully be finished by the start of winter." "Winter's no good. That's when people will be staying put, it will be too cold to go anywhere." "You'd be surprised how stupid this generation is. They'd drive through blizzard after blizzard just to get to this so-called "safe haven", Harter." "I've heard about that place, wasn't it abandoned?" "Apparently, but, I've also heard that it's still around and there's people there. It's hard to say without being there. One thing is for certain, though. It is not a safe haven. If it hasn't already, it will fall." ---- Several minutes later, the truck pulled up in front of the apartment Morgan and Drake were at. They walked out onto the balcony, Morgan with her bow drawn, until they realized it was Eric's group. They went back inside and went down to the front door, opening the squeaky, glass door and approaching them. "No luck, huh?" Morgan rhetorically asked. "I tried to tell you, but you drove off." "Why didn't you tell us before?" "I think about it, I'm sorry." "Yeah, you'd better be." "Hey, Eric," Emily said. "Calm down." "Look, uh, Eric?" Drake started. "We're sorry we didn't tell you. We ran into them about a week ago. We've just been holed out here until we could think of something." "Those assholes want us to give them what we have...then we will." "What?" Dolph said. "Are you insane? We're not handing over our supplies." "I didn't mean our supplies. Those fuckers want people to do their dirty work, let them work their asses off and risk their lives trying to get supplies, then force them to hand it over to them. Fuck them. I'm not going to waste gas trying to find a way around, and I sure as hell am not giving them our supplies." "What are we going to do then?" Brie asked. "We're going to kill them. We have weapons, we have bullets, we have the upper hand. They won't see it coming. Sneak onto their walls, shoot them all down." "We don't know how many people they have, though," Gregory pointed out. "They could have hundreds, and we would be digging our own graves by waltzing in there like that." "He offered us to join him," Bill recalled. "One of us could pretend we're joining and check out the place. Hell, they could even plot out a path for us to get through easily." "I'll do it," Devon said. "What?" Emily asked. "No, it's too dangerous. You're a little unhinged right now an-" "I said I'll do it." "He's probably the only person here who could keep a conversation going, and still seem nonthreatening." Andre said. "But-" "Emily," Eric interrupted. "The boy said he'd do it, let him, unless you want to, yourself." "So, how are we going to do this?" Dolph asked. "Well, Devon will go up to the walls and talk to Alvin. Hopefully, he will be let in. If not, we'll be waiting up the road a bit." "What then?" Devon asked. "You'll need to get as much info from Alvin as you can without seeming suspicious. Do you think you can handle that?" "Sure...I guess." "Good enough for me. After that, just have a look around. Keep tabs on how many people are there, and what route takes us directly through the camp. If you have to, you could probably sneak in a pen and some paper, so you can draw a map of sorts." "How am I supposed to give you guys this info, though? It would be suspicious if I just up and leave after my first day there." "Good point...Morgan do you guys have any walkie-talkies?" "No, sorry," Morgan said. "Haven't run across anything like that." "Damn...I guess you'll have to sneak out during the night, then, Devon. It will be risky, but, I'm sure there will be some way to manage it." "What if I get caught?" Devon asked. "You'll have to keep a gun on you, for protection. We'll be right outside the wall as backup, though, so it shouldn't be a big problem. But, remember, that's only if you get caught." "Alright...so, when are we gonna do this?" "Tomorrow. Then, we'll see how things go from there. Morgan, Drake, are you going to assist us?" "On one condition," Morgan said. "Oh, and what would that be?" "You take us with you to Harter." "Done, but you'll have to put up with being in the bed of the truck." "Fine by me," Drake said, and Morgan nodded. ---- The next day, Eric and Dolph drove Devon to Alvin's community. "Devon," Dolph said. "I apologize for having a go at you the other day. I've just been a little on edge, mainly because of all of this talk about Harter being a lost cause..." They pulled up on the side of the road near the wall but far enough away that they couldn't be seen. "Alright," Eric started. "You know the plan. We'll be waiting here for fifteen minutes in case something happens." "Okay," Devon said as he shut the door, and then walked off towards the wall. Meanwhile, inside the walls, Alvin was talking to a young, black woman, with short hair, and a bald man with an unhappy look. "Frank," Alvin said to the man. "You and Sarah ready to head out, yet?" "Yeah, we got our shit packed," Frank confirmed. "Alvin!" a man on the wall with long, blond hair and vest said. "There's some dirtbag at the wall!" "God damn it, Pablo," Alvin muttered to himself. He walked up to the bus and climbed a ladder to the top. "Oh, it's you. What happened to your group?" "I left..." Devon lied. "Why?" "They're assholes, and your place seems...promising. I like a larger community where people cooperate over a small group where people stab you in the back and leave you for dead." "Sounds like an interesting story, but, you can spare me the details, for now. Come on up." Alvin gestured for Devon to come towards him. Devon walked up to the bus, and Alvin lowered his hand and reached out. He grabbed it, and Alvin pulled him up. Devon thanked Alvin, and then directed his attention forward. Directly in front of him was a walled off community consisting of a few small buildings, numerous tents, and dozens of people. Credits * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Deaths *None Trivia *First appearance of . *First appearance of . *First appearance of . *First appearance of .